Gate latch

ABSTRACT

A variable width gate adapted to be manipulated to secure the gate within the boundary of an opening, the gate comprising: (a) a gate member; and (b) a locking mechanism to secure the gate member within a boundary of an opening, the mechanism comprising: (i) a first member mounted to the gate member, (ii) a second member mounted to the gate member and adapted to reciprocate with respect to the first member, the second member being operative to generate a force expanding the gate member when reciprocated toward the first member, and (iii) a latch mounted to one of the first member or the second member that selectively interacts with the other of the first member or the second member to substantially sustain the position of the first member with respect to the second member to substantially sustain the force.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to an expandable gate operative to selectively inhibit movement through an opening and, more specifically, to a latching mechanism for an expandable gate having a latch adapted to be selectively gripped to disengage the latch and enable the gate to be compressed.

2. Background of the Invention

A variety of gates are known and presently on the market that are designed to prevent children from passing from one area to another. Several of these gates can be adjusted for use in openings having various widths.

Presently there are two common types of adjustable, pressure mounted, security gates that are used in the home for children and pets that have a plurality of panels that are roughly adjusted to fill the passageway in which they are to be used. One type has extendable bumpers on at least one side to firmly engage the side or sides of the passageway to hold the gate in place and the second type that has fixed bumpers on the panels that are caused to firmly engage the sides of the passageway by forcibly extending the panels in opposite directions and locking them in the maximum extended position.

Gates having extendable bumpers may incorporate mechanisms that include numerous interconnecting parts that require precise fits and positioning to interact with each other to extend and retract the bumpers. Gates are also known that utilize actuating mechanisms that include a complex arrangement of links, cranks, pull rods and springs that are interconnected to a pull handle. An example of such an actuating mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,461.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an expandable gate operative to selectively inhibit movement through an opening and, more specifically, to a latching mechanism for an expandable gate having a latch adapted to be selectively finger gripped to disengage the latch and enable the gate to be compressed. The gate latch may include a pair of spring biased arms that are adapted to receive a component of the latching mechanism therein to fix the relative dimensions of the expandable gate. The gate latch may be finger gripped to overcome the bias and release the component of the latching mechanism to allow the relative dimensions of the expandable gate to substantially change.

It is a first aspect of the present invention to provide a variable width gate adapted to be manipulated to secure the gate within the boundary of an opening, the gate comprising: (a) an expandable gate; and (b) a locking mechanism to secure the expandable gate within a boundary of an opening, the mechanism comprising: (i) a first member mounted to the expandable gate, (ii) a second member mounted to the expandable gate and adapted to reciprocate with respect to the first member, the second member being operative to generate a force expanding the expandable gate when reciprocated toward the first member, and (iii) a latch mounted to one of the first member or the second member that selectively interacts with the other of the first member or the second member to substantially sustain the position of the first member with respect to the second member to sustain the outward force.

It is a second aspect of the present invention to provide a gate latch comprising: (a) a mounting portion adapted to be mounted to a first member of a cantilever; and (b) a receiving portion adapted to selectively mount the first member to a second member of the cantilever, the receiving portion including a finger gripping portion adapted to be finger gripped to reposition the receiving portion with respect to the second member.

It is a third aspect of the present invention to provide a method of sizing a variable width gate within an opening to inhibit through traffic, the method comprising the steps of: (a) pivoting a first cantilever segment with respect to a second cantilever segment, the first cantilever segment mounted to an expandable gate at a first position and the second cantilever segment mounted to the expandable gate at a second position, the pivoting of the first cantilever segment with respect to the second cantilever segment operative to change a width of the expandable gate; (b) orienting the first cantilever segment with respect to the second cantilever segment into a generally parallel orientation; and securing the first cantilever segment to the second cantilever segment to inhibit movement of the first cantilever segment with respect to the second cantilever segment.

It is a fourth aspect of the present invention to provide a method of securing a gate within an opening to inhibit through traffic, the method comprising the steps of: (a) positioning an expandable gate within an opening having a width; (b) sizing a width of the expandable gate approximate the width of the opening; and (c) locking the expandable gate in place by wedging the expandable gate within the opening, where the locking step including the steps of: (i) positioning a first member with respect to a second member to include pivotally mounting the first member to the second member, the first member being mounted to the expandable gate at a first position and the second member being mounted to the expandable gate at a second position, and (ii) securing the first member to the second member to substantially inhibit the first member from pivoting with respect to the second member, the securing step including use of a biased fastener coupled to the first member and operative to engage the second member and mount the first member to the second member.

It is a fifth aspect of the present invention to provide a method of removing a gate from an opening, the method comprising the step of unlocking an expandable gate wedged within an opening, the expandable gate including a first cantilever member mounted to a second cantilever member, where the unlocking step includes finger gripping a fastener to disengage the first cantilever member from the second cantilever member, thereby allowing the expandable gate to contract.

It is a sixth aspect of the present invention to provide a latching mechanism for an expansive gate comprising: (a) a first cantilever component adapted to be mounted to an expansive gate at a first position; (b) a second cantilever component adapted to be mounted to the expansive gate at a second position, the second cantilever component adapted to be pivotally mounted to the first cantilever component; and (c) a fastener adapted to maintain the general position of the first cantilever component with respect to the second cantilever component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a frontal view of an exemplary expandable gate in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a segmental frontal view of two components of a cantilever in a disengaged position in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a segmental frontal view of two components of a cantilever just prior to an engaged position in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an overhead view of an exemplary gate latch in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a right side profile view of the exemplary gate latch of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary gate latch of FIG. 4 with the pivoting arms in a contracted position; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary gate latch of FIG. 4 with the pivoting arms in an expanded position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described and illustrated below as expandable gates or gate sections operative to occupy at least a portion of an opening to selectively inhibit movement therethrough. The various orientational, positional, and reference terms are used in an exemplary form to describe the elements of the inventions with respect to one another. However, for clarity and precision, only a single orientational or positional reference will be utilized and, therefore, it will be understood that the positional and orientational terms used to describe the elements of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are only used to describe the elements in relation to one another and may be reconfigured by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a first exemplary embodiment of an extendable gate 10 includes a first gate section 12 mounted to a second gate section 14. The first gate section 12 includes a right side frame member 16, a top frame member 18, a bottom frame member 20, and a left side frame member 22. Each frame member 16, 18, 20, 22 includes a channel (not shown) therein that runs the majority of the length of each frame member and is adapted to receive a pane 26 therein. The pane 26 may include any material that blocks a substantial portion of the opening defined by the frame members 16, 18, 20, 22, and in this exemplary embodiment includes plastic mesh. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to utilize other materials and panel designs, such as wire mesh, solid plastic panels, or solid panels with orifices therethrough. A pair of bumpers 27 are mounted to the right side frame member 16 that are adapted to contact a boundary, such as a wall, when the extendable gate 10 is secured within an opening. L-shaped fasteners 28 are utilized to mount the frame members 16, 18, 20, 22 to one another.

The second gate section 14 includes a right side frame member 36, a top frame member 38, a bottom frame member 40, and a left side frame member 42. Each frame member 36, 38, 40, 42 includes a channel (not shown) therein that runs at the majority of the length of each frame member and is adapted to receive a pane 46 therein. The pane 46 may include any material that blocks a substantial portion of the opening defined by the frame members 36, 38, 40, 42, and in exemplary form includes plastic mesh. A pair of bumpers 47 are mounted to the left side frame member 42 that are adapted to contact a boundary, such as a wall, when the extendable gate 10 is secured within an opening. L-shaped fasteners 48 are utilized to mount the frame members 36, 38, 40, 42 together.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the gate 10 includes two cantilevers segments 58, 60, with the first cantilever segment 58 being mounted to the right side member 16 of the first gate section 12 and the second cantilever segment 60 being mounted to the left side member 42 of the second gate section 14. The first cantilever segment 58 includes a swivel 62 mounted approximate the free end 64 thereof. The second cantilever segment 60 includes a plurality of crests 66 and troughs 68, where at least one of the troughs 66 is adapted receive a catch 70 associated with the swivel 62. In further exemplary embodiment, the troughs 66 are uniformly spaced apart one-half inch and include widthwise markings corresponding to the approximate location of the catch 70 to properly bias the gate sections 12, 14 within an opening having a certain width. For instance, if the width of the opening is approximately thirty-six inches, a trough 66 would be labeled “36” indicating that a good starting point for securing the gate 10 within the opening would be to place the catch 70 within the trough labeled “36” to create the proper bias via the cantilever segments 58, 60. The second cantilever segment 60 also includes a latch 72 mounted approximate the free end 74 thereof. The latch 72 is adapted to couple the first cantilever segment 58 to the second cantilever segment 60 and create a biased wedge between the first gate section 12 and the second gate section 14.

Referencing FIGS. 4-7, the latch 72 includes a boxed end 76 adapted to receive the free end 74 of the second cantilever 60. The boxed end 76 may create a friction fit between the free end 74 to secure the latch 72 to the free end 74, or may include a fastener 78 received through an opening 80 in the boxed end 76 to secure the boxed end 76 to the free end 74 of the second cantilever segment 60. The fastener may include, such as, without limitation, a rivet, a nail, a screw, and other fastener known to those of ordinary skill. A pair of flanges 81 extends from the boxed end 76 and is adapted to receive at least a portion of the first cantilever segment 58 therebetween as the latch 72 is mounted to the first cantilever segment 58. Opposite the boxed end 76 is a loop 82 adapted to provide a finger insertion location to facilitate upward and downward movement of the second cantilever segment 60 with respect to the first cantilever segment 58. Interposing the loop 82 and the boxed end 76 is an active clasp 84.

The active clasp 84 includes two pivoting arms 86, 88 divided by a partition 90 within the latch 72. Spanning between the loop 82 and the boxed end 76 are two metal rods 92, 94. The metal rods 92, 94 are offset, with the first rod 92 piercing a rounded projection 96 associated with the first pivoting arm 86, and the second rod 94 piercing a rounded projection 98 associated with the second pivoting arm 88. Two receivers 100, 102 are divided by the partition 90 and mounted thereto, with the first receiver 100 including a rounded cavity 104 that receives the rounded projection 96 of the first arm 86 and allows the rounded projection 96 to pivot therein. Likewise, the second receiver 102 includes a rounded cavity 106 that receives the rounded projection 98 of the second arm 88 and allows the rounded projection 98 to pivot therein. The partition also includes a passageway 108 therethrough that is traversed by a spring 110 concurrently mounted to the arms 86, 88.

Referencing FIG. 1, the extendable gate 10 is placed within an opening, possibly a doorway or between adjacent walls, such that the first gate section 12 is extended with respect to the second gate section 14 to position the bumpers 27, 47 in proximity to the boundary of the opening. As the gate sections 12, 14 are extended, the second cantilever segment 60 traverses the first cantilever segment 50 without the catch 70 being fixedly engaged by at least one of the troughs 66. After the bumpers 27, 47 are in proximity to the boundary of the opening or are in contact with the boundary, the catch 70 is positioned within one of the troughs 66. As discussed above, the second cantilever segment 60 may include markings (not shown) that correspond to the location where the catch 70 should be placed within a trough 66 when the opening is approximately a particular width. For instance, if the troughs 66 are uniformly spaced one-half inch apart and the gate 10 is extendable between an opening having a width between twenty-nine inches and fifty inches, the second cantilever would include forty-three troughs 66 labeled in one-half inch increments from “29” to “50”, where the “29” label would indicate a starting position for the catch 70 if the opening was approximately twenty-nine inches wide; likewise, the trough 66 labeled “50” would indicate a starting position for the catch 70 if the opening was fifty inches wide.

After the catch 70 is positioned within one of the troughs 66, the second cantilever segment 60 is pivoted with respect to the first cantilever segment 58 such that the latch 72 is moved downward toward the first cantilever segment 58. This pivoting action by the cantilever segments 58, 60 exerts an outward pressure upon the sections 12, 14, thereby tending to wedge the sections 12, 14 within the opening. If the width of the opening is too narrow based upon the position of the catch 70 within a particular trough 66, the second cantilever segment 60 may not properly pivot with respect to the first cantilever segment 58. An attempt to force the latch 72 to downwardly engage the first cantilever segment 58 under these circumstances would result in undue stress upon the cantilever segments 58, 60, and might result in failure of the cantilevers. Alternatively, the catch 70 may be positioned within a trough 66 that enables the latch 72 to engage the first cantilever segment 58, but does not wedge the gate 10 within the opening. In either circumstance where the initial position of the catch 70 within one of the troughs 66 did not adequately allow the sections 12, 14 to be wedged within the opening, the catch 70 may be repositioned to be seated within another trough 66. The above process may be repeated until the latch 72 is mounted to the first cantilever segment 58 and the gate 10 is wedged within the opening. In this exemplary embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, the catch 70 would be repositioned to the left to decrease the wedge force and repositioned to the right, toward the latch 72, to increase the wedge force.

Referencing FIGS. 1, 6, and 7, presuming that the proper trough 66 has been selected to seat the catch 70 therein, the second cantilever segment 60 is pivoted with respect to the first cantilever segment 58 to enable the latch 72 to engage the first cantilever segment 58. The ends of the arms 86, 88 of the latch 72 are tapered and adapted to engage the upper corners of the first cantilever segment 58 and be forced apart, counter to the bias of the spring 110, to pivot about the rods 92, 94 and accommodate the width of the first cantilever segment 58 therebetween. The arms 86, 88 include a recess 126 therein adjacent to the taper where the bottom corners of the cantilever segment 58 are adapted to be seated therein after the bottom corners of the cantilever segment 58 pass beyond the tapered portion of the arms 86, 88. The biased nature of the arms 86, 88 provides a “snap-fit” to mount the first cantilever segment 58 to second cantilever segment 60, and the recesses 126 inhibit disengagement between the cantilever segments 58, 60.

The biased arms 86, 88 of the latch 72 allow for selective disengagement between the cantilever segments 58, 60 by finger gripping. To disengage the latch 72 and the second cantilever segment 60 from the first cantilever segment 58, the biased arms 86, 88 are gripped and directed inward approximate the partition 90 to pivot the tapered ends of the arms 86, 88 outward and disengage the recesses 126 from the bottom of the first cantilever segment 58. The wedge force created by the cantilever segments 58, 60 in an engaged position is decreased as the latch 72 and second cantilever segment 60 pivot away from the first cantilever segment 58 and enable the gate sections 12, 14 to freely move with respect to one another. The decrease in wedge force backs away the bumpers 27, 47 from the boundary of the opening, thereby allowing the gate 10 to be resized and/or repositioned relative to the boundary.

Following from the above description and invention summaries, it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, while the methods and apparatuses herein described constitute exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the inventions contained herein are not limited to these precise embodiments and that changes may be made to them without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Additionally, it is to be understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it is not intended that any limitations or elements describing the exemplary embodiments set forth herein are to be incorporated into the meanings of the claims unless such limitations or elements are explicitly recited in the claims. Likewise, it is to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the identified advantages or objects of the invention disclosed herein in order to fall within the scope of any claim, since the invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and/or unforeseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though they may not have been explicitly discussed herein. 

1. A variable width gate adapted to be manipulated to secure the gate within the boundary of an opening, the gate comprising: a gate member; and a locking mechanism to secure the gate member within a boundary of an opening, the mechanism comprising: a first member mounted to the gate member, a second member mounted to the gate member and adapted to reciprocate with respect to the first member, the second member being operative to generate a force expanding the gate member when reciprocated toward the first member, and a latch mounted to one of the first member or the second member that selectively interacts with the other of the first member or the second member to substantially sustain the position of the first member with respect to the second member to substantially sustain the force.
 2. The variable width gate of claim 1, wherein: the first member and the second member include a cantilever; the first member is mounted approximate a first side of the gate member; and the second member is mounted approximate a second side of the gate member.
 3. The variable width gate of claim 2, wherein the first member includes a loop adapted accommodate movement of the second member therethrough.
 4. The variable width gate of claim 3, wherein the latch includes at least one biased appendage adapted engage the other of the first member or the second member.
 5. The variable width gate of claim 4, wherein the latch includes two biased appendages that are repositionable and adapted to engage the other of the first member or the second member.
 6. The variable width gate of claim 5, wherein: the two biased appendages are pivotable; and at least one of the two biased appendages includes a tapered end.
 7. The variable width gate of claim 6, wherein: the latch includes a spring to bias the two biased appendages; and at least one of the two biased arms includes a flange adapted to be mounted to the other of the first member or the second member to substantially sustain the position of the first member with respect to the second member.
 8. The variable width gate of claim 7, wherein: the latch includes a cavity adapted to receive at least a portion of the first member or second member therein; and the latch includes a handle adapted to be gripped to facilitate movement of the latch with respect to the other of the first member or second member.
 9. The variable width gate of claim 2, wherein: the first member includes a plurality of notches; and the second member includes a catch, where at least a portion of the catch is adapted to be received within at least one of the plurality of notches.
 10. The variable width gate of claim 2, wherein the gate member includes a first gate section and a second gate section.
 11. The variable width gate of claim 10, wherein: the first member is pivotally mounted to the first gate section; the first gate section is laterally slidable with respect to the second gate section; and at least one of the first gate section and the second gate section includes contact bumpers mounted thereto.
 12. The variable width gate of claim 10, wherein the first member includes a fastener to inhibit substantial movement of the first member with respect to the second member when the first member is mounted to the second member.
 13. A gate latch comprising: a mounting portion adapted to be mounted to a first member of a cantilever; and a receiving portion adapted to selectively mount the first member to a second member of the cantilever, the receiving portion including a gripping portion adapted to be gripped to reposition the receiving portion with respect to the second member.
 14. The gate latch of claim 13, further comprising a receiving portion adapted to reposition the latch with respect to at least one of the first member and the second member upon insertion and application of force by a finger.
 15. The gate latch of claim 13, wherein the mounting portion is adapted to receive at least a portion of the first member therein.
 16. The gate latch of claim 15, wherein the mounting portion substantially circumscribes the portion of the first member.
 17. The gate latch of claim 13, wherein the gripping portion includes a repositionable appendage adapted to react to selectively contact the second member and move from a first position to a second position, where upon being gripped by a user, the repositionable appendage moves from the second position to the first position.
 18. The gate latch of claim 17, wherein the gripping portion includes two biased and repositionable appendages adapted to react to selective contact with the second member to move from a first position to a second position, where upon being gripped by a user, the repositionable appendages moves from the second position to the first position, and wherein the contact between the repositionable appendages and the second member involves a beveled or arcuate surface.
 19. The gate latch of claim 18, wherein the two biased and repositionable appendages comprise a first biased and repositionable appendage facing a second biased and repositionable appendage, the first and second biased and repositionable appendages including a cam operative to allow pivoting motion, such that an upper region of each of the first and second biased and repositionable appendages are directed toward one another in the second position, resulting in a lower region of each of the first and second biased and repositionable appendages being directed away from one another.
 20. The gate latch of claim 19, wherein the lower region of each of the two biased and repositionable appendages comprises a beveled surface and a recess adjacent thereto.
 21. The gate latch of claim 17, wherein: the mounting portion is coupled to the first member of the cantilever; the receiving portion includes a loop; and the gripping portion interposes the mounting portion and the receiving portion.
 22. A method of sizing a variable width gate within an opening to inhibit through traffic, the method comprising the steps of: pivoting a first cantilever segment with respect to a second cantilever segment, the first cantilever segment mounted to an expandable gate at a first position and the second cantilever segment mounted to the expandable gate at a second position, the pivoting of the first cantilever segment with respect to the second cantilever segment operative to change a width of the expandable gate; orienting the first cantilever segment with respect to the second cantilever segment into a generally parallel orientation; and securing the first cantilever segment to the second cantilever segment to inhibit movement of the first cantilever segment with respect to the second cantilever segment.
 23. A method of securing a gate within an opening to inhibit through traffic, the method comprising the steps of: positioning an expandable gate within an opening having a width; sizing a width of the expandable gate approximate the width of the opening; and locking the expandable gate in place by wedging the expandable gate within the opening; the locking step including the steps of: positioning a first member with respect to a second member to include pivotally mounting the first member to the second member, the first member being mounted to the expandable gate at a first position and the second member being mounted to the expandable gate at a second position, and securing the first member to the second member to substantially inhibit the first member from pivoting with respect to the second member, the securing step including use of a biased fastener coupled to the first member and operative to engage the second member and mount the first member to the second member.
 24. A method of removing a gate from an opening, the method comprising the step of unlocking an expandable gate wedged within an opening, the expandable gate including a first cantilever member mounted to a second cantilever member, where the unlocking step includes gripping a fastener to disengage the first cantilever member from the second cantilever member, thereby allowing the expandable gate to contract.
 25. A latching mechanism for an expansive gate comprising: a first cantilever component adapted to be mounted to an expansive gate at a first position; a second cantilever component adapted to be mounted to the expansive gate at a second position, the second cantilever component adapted to be pivotally mounted to the first cantilever component; and a fastener adapted to maintain the general position of the first cantilever component with respect to the second cantilever component.
 26. The latching mechanism of claim 25, wherein: the first cantilever component includes a recess therein; the second cantilever component includes a projection adapted to be seated within the recess to pivotally mount the first cantilever component to the second cantilever component; and the fastener is mounted to one of the first cantilever component or the second cantilever component.
 27. The latching mechanism of claim 26, wherein the fastener includes a biased arm operative to engage and automatically associate the first cantilever component with the second cantilever component.
 28. The latching mechanism of claim 27, wherein: the biased arm includes a taper approximate a proximal end thereof; the biased arm includes a recess approximate at a proximal end thereof; the taper of the biased arm is adapted to contact at least one of the first cantilever component and the second cantilever component; and the recess of the biased arm is adapted to secure at least one of the first cantilever component and the second cantilever component. 